The voices inside the house stopped abruptly. A woman quickly came out and asked, “What do you need? My father-in-law has gone to the fields—he’ll be back soon.”
“Come in and have some water, sister.”
Yun Yin set down her basket and followed her inside. “Thank you, sister-in-law. I’ve come to register my household.”
“I see. Then sit for a while.”
Taking the water she was offered, Yun Yin asked, “May I ask how to address you? After I register, I plan to open a small eatery. Do you know where I can buy cheap vegetables and eggs?”
She had already thought of sourcing ingredients from this village when she overheard the earlier conversation.
After all, this village was the closest to where she lived. By boat it was only a short trip, and even on foot it took less than half an hour—much closer than going to town, let alone the county seat.
The woman’s eyes lit up. “Just call me Sister-in-law Qian. You’ve come to the right place—we may lack many things here, but not vegetables or eggs. How much do you need?”
After confirming the prices, Yun Yin nodded in satisfaction—they were cheaper than in town.
“The prices are good,” she said with a smile, “but I need to complete my registration first before discussing quantities.”
Sister-in-law Qian nodded eagerly. “Of course, I understand. As long as you pay the fee, you can register. My father-in-law is the village head—he’ll definitely handle it for you.”
Just then, an elderly voice sounded from behind: “Who wants to register a household?”
Yun Yin turned to see an old man wearing a headwrap and long robe entering with his hands behind his back.
She stood and bowed. “Village Head Sun, I am here to register.”
He nodded. “Wait a moment—I’ll get paper and brush.”
Before he could step inside, his son brought them out. The old man glanced at him. “Why are you home at this hour? Is all the fieldwork done?”
The man grinned sheepishly. “I’ll head back now, Father—you attend to the guest.”
He slipped out quickly, signaling his wife as he left. She followed suit. “Father-in-law, I’ll go cook.”
Soon, only Yun Yin and Village Head Sun remained.
He sat down and said, “Forgive the scene. Where are you from?”
Yun Yin gave Zhang Lin’s hometown details. After recording her information and noting her appearance, he asked, “Have you brought the money?”
She handed over two taels of official silver. After inspecting it, he nodded and gave her a document.
“Your registration is complete. From now on, you belong to Linjiang Village. Keep this document safe—it will be needed if you buy land or property.”
He continued, “Since you’re a female household, you’ll receive ten mu of permanent land. This land generally cannot be sold. As for ration land, you will not be allocated any.”
The dynasty followed an equal-field system. Adult men received both permanent and ration land, but women typically did not—unless there were no adult males in the household.
In Yun Yin’s case, she qualified due to her situation and payment, though she only received ten mu.
Still, she was satisfied. Being officially registered meant she could finally settle down. The land—even if uncultivated—was an unexpected bonus.
She then asked, “Village Head, I heard the valley beyond the mountain near the main road belongs to this village. Could I be assigned land there?”
After thinking for a while, he said, “Ah, that valley—it does belong to us, but it’s far and difficult to cultivate. That’s why no one lives there.”
Looking at her, he asked, “Do you plan to live there?”
Yun Yin nodded. “Yes. I plan to open a food stall there and will need to buy vegetables and eggs from the village.”
He stroked his beard. “In that case, I’ll assign you land there. You can also choose a spot for your house.”
Yun Yin asked further, “How much would it cost to buy that entire valley?”
“Technically, wasteland isn’t sold. But since it’s inconvenient for us, I can sell it to you for ten strings of coins. However, you’ll need to pay taxes—after three years’ exemption, it could be quite a burden.”
Yun Yin smiled. “I understand. I’ll start with the ten mu for now. If needed, I’ll return to purchase more.”
As she was about to leave, she remembered Zhang Lin. “Village Head, can I register a temporary household for my fellow villager?”
“Yes, but you must bring him here. I need to record his details and appearance. Temporary registration allows him to work, but everything must be documented.”
Yun Yin thanked him and turned to find Sister-in-law Qian, who happened to be returning.
“Sister-in-law, I’m now part of the village too—please make sure to sell me fresh produce,” Yun Yin said warmly. “I need eggs, vegetables, scallions, ginger, and grain. We’ll use the prices you mentioned earlier.”
Sister-in-law Qian glanced at her father-in-law, who didn’t object, and quickly agreed. “Of course—I’ll give you the freshest.”
Yun Yin stopped her. “No rush. I need to bring my companion for registration first. I’ll come back this afternoon.”
“Do you have pickled vegetables? I’d like to buy some.”
“Yes, how much do you need?”
Yun Yin followed her into the kitchen and bought some pickled greens, scallions, Sichuan peppercorns, and a few eggs before leaving.
She moved quickly and returned to the roadside site in less than half an hour. Zhang Lin was still hard at work, finishing a bamboo shelter and stoves.
“Not bad,” she said. “Almost done.”
Zhang Lin beamed. “Lady Yun! Just a little more!”
“Have you eaten?” she asked.
He rubbed his stomach. “Oh—I forgot. Not yet.”
“It’s late. I’ll cook. You rest.”
“I’ll finish this first,” he insisted.
Seeing he was nearly done, she went to the river, caught a fish, cleaned it, and returned.
She cooked rice and prepared the fish—slicing it into fillets, separating the head and bones. She chopped the pickled greens and stir-fried the fish bones with ginger, garlic, and peppercorns, then added the greens and water to make soup.
The fish slices were marinated and added last.
When Zhang Lin arrived, the air was filled with a tangy, numbing aroma.
“Perfect timing,” Yun Yin said. “It’s ready.”
Zhang Lin washed up, took his bowl, and inhaled deeply. “Smells amazing.”
“This is pickled fish,” she said. “I’ll mainly sell noodles at first, but this can be my main meat dish. There are plenty of fish in the river.”
He took a bite and nodded enthusiastically. “So good! Sour and numbing—perfect with rice. I could eat five bowls with this!”
Yun Yin laughed. “Eat as much as you want—I made plenty.”
“After this, we’ll go to Linjiang Village. I’ve arranged your temporary registration—and I’ll hire you.”
Zhang Lin froze. “I thought you were still testing me?”
She glanced at his torn clothes. “You work hard. I’m satisfied.”
“Now eat—we’ll go after.”
Zhang Lin immediately dug in. Before long, the entire pot of fish was gone.